After displaying a technically sound and aggressive style throughout the Women’s World Cup in China, the North Korean team finally bowed out after its quarterfinal match against Germany. Losing 3-0 on Sept. 22, the squad was eliminated from the tournament. It was the furthest North Korea had ever gone in the World Cup.

Ranked fifth in the world, it entered the international competition in Group B (known as “The Group of Death” due to the caliber of its teams) and posted a 1-1-1 record in the preliminary round. Its most notable performance came against the No. 1-ranked United States on Sept. 11, when it battled to a 2-2 tie at Chengdu.

“There were times in that game where I felt we were getting outplayed,” said U.S. forward Abby Wambach to SI.com. “That happens very rarely.”

In its other Group B matchups, North Korea defeated Nigeria (2-0) on Sept. 14 before falling to Sweden (2-1) on Sept. 18.

North Korean coach Kim Kwang Min said overall his team lacked the necessary physical presence to dominate.

“There were clearly significant physical differences between the teams and that made it very difficult for us,” he told the Associated Foreign Press. “It’s not a question of us being unlucky. I think it’s just a reality that we are not as strong as the Germans.”

Still, with its players averaging 22.5 years in age and its U-20 team winning the 2006 World Cup, North Korea can more than likely expect an even stronger performance in 2011.